A Jeep without four-wheel traction seems unusual to a lot of us. The brand is well known for its on and off-road prowess, but there were also rear-wheel-drive Broncos, Suburbans, and other vehicles that we all think are 4WD/AWD all the time. The seller has this 1989 Jeep Comanche Sportruck posted here on craigslist in Rollag, Minnesota, and they’re asking $3,000 or offer. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Tony P. for the tip!
Rollag is home of one of the best and biggest Steam Threshing Reunions and old tractor shows in the country every Labor Day weekend. It’s worth flying into Fargo’s airport, renting a car, and driving 45 minutes east or so to check it out if you’re a fan of old machinery and turn-of-the-century stuff, in general. We often see old vehicles like this Jeep parked on the side of the road with a For Sale sign in the windshield, where thousands of vehicles will pass by on the way to the big show. Jeep made the Comanche from 1985 for the 1986 model year until the end of 1992. I’m guessing the missing trim isn’t included.
I’d be interested in upgrading from my tiny Dodge D-50 Sport pickup that doesn’t even remotely have enough legroom for me. There are a few problem areas on the exterior, however, such as here and here. I believe this Jeep is Colorado Red, a great name for either a Jeep pickup or a Colorado cowboy. It would have been nice if the license plate were RWD rather than RHD, although the USPS did have many RHD Jeep Cherokees for delivering mail. I couldn’t find a 1989 brochure, but here’s a 1988 Comanche brochure.
It would be fun to clean and detail this Jeep. The interior could use a lot of work in that department; it’s pretty dusty and somewhat dirty-looking. Condition-wise, though, it looks great inside to me. This example has a 5-speed manual, and I’m assuming it’s the lighter-duty version by Asian-Warner: the AX-5. There was a heavier AX-15, and from what I found, both were used with the 2.5-liter inline-four, which this Cherokee has. Maybe one of you Jeep experts would know. In any case, the seller says that this one has a new “clutch, throw out bearing, slave cylinder, and pressure plate.” That’s a very nice piece of work to have done.
Unfortunately, the seller didn’t pop the hood to show us the engine, but they say it’s a 4-cylinder. That should be AMC’s 2.5-liter OHV, fuel-injected inline-four, which was rated at 121 horsepower and 141 lb-ft of torque. Backed by the 5-speed manual sending power to the rear wheels, this Jeep has a new fuel pump and is said to run great; they also say to make an offer. Depending on the rust situation, getting this one for $2,500 would be a good deal in my world. Hagerty is at $6,067 on the low end, so if you don’t mind a couple of dents and some rust, this could be a good truck just for using as, you know, a truck.
What a neat little truck…anything XJ-related is a winner, esp with a third pedal.
This is a great Jeep pickup. As far as the 2WD Vs 4WD, my Father would say, “Less stuff to break”. Some cleaning would do wonders for this one. I’d certainly love to have it. And thank you for mentioning the tractor show too Scotty. That eould be a blast to see.